Shahrizat says no reason to apologise to Malaysians

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Mar 18, 2013

(The Malaysian Insider) – “I have to apologise to Malaysians for what?” said Shahrizat at the High Court here today.

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil questioned at the High Court here today the need for her to apologise to Malaysians over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal.

Rafizi Ramli’s lawyer, Ranjit Singh, said the PKR strategy director had in a press statement dated November 28, 2011 called on the former Cabinet minister to apologise to the rakyat as the alleged abuse of public funds in the cattle farming project had roused public anger.

“I have to apologise to Malaysians for what?” said Shahrizat at the High Court here today.

“Do you ask a certain wife to explain what the husband does in a condo? Do you ask a certain wife to explain what a certain husband does in a condo or several condos?” she added, gesturing angrily.

Shahrizat also disagreed with Rafizi’s statement in which he said the question arose of whether public funds were siphoned out after the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) loaned RM81 million to the National Meat Livestock Corporation (NMLC) to purchase two luxury condominium units in Bangsar.

“The question did not arise until your client tried to mislead the whole nation,” said Shahrizat.

“This is defamation and accusations,” she added, gesturing again.Shahrizat also said that she did not know if NFCorp’s RM81 million loan to NMLC came from the RM250 million government loan to the former firm.

The Wanita Umno chief admitted, however, that the use of NFCorp funds to purchase the condominium units was a departure from the purpose of the government loan.

“The money meant for programmes for NFC was stalled because the abattoir was not built, so they invested in property. That’s why it’s a departure from the loan,” explained Shahrizat.

She maintained she was the only target in Rafizi and PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s joint press statement dated November 10, 2011, which had named her along with others such as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Datuk Seri Noh Omar, and Deputy Prime Minister and Noh’s ministerial predecessor, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, as parties in the NFC issue.

“They were gunning for me… I was the only one (targeted),” said Shahrizat.